FOLLOWING contrasting victories over their semifinal opponents, Waramadong Secondary from Region 7 and Wismar/Christianburg Secondary School (WCSS) of Region 10, will collide in the final of this year’s Digicel-sponsored nationwide Inter-Secondary School Football Championships at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground tomorrow night. At the Police Sports Club ground in Eve Leary, Waramadong inflicted a humiliating 12-1 drubbing over the much-fancied Bygeval Secondary School, the regional champions of Region 4, while at the Den Amstel ground, WCSS clawed their way back to edge Region 9 champions St Ignatius Secondary 4-3, making tomorrow’s final a must-see for football fans and enthusiasts.
Despite the soggy, underfoot conditions due to heavy overnight rain, Waramadong kept their composure and played their hearts out as a team, in comparison to their hinterland brothers St Ignatius, who had displayed the same tactics against Lodge Secondary in their quarterfinal encounter two days before.
After his first goal was disallowed when the second assistant ruled him to be in the offside position, Cirilio George returned to score half of his team’s goals, including four in the first half, as they made their way to the final with ease.
George found the back of the net in the 17th, 22nd, 36th, 38th, 58th and 71st minutes of the contest and, coupled with McCurd Kramer’s hat-trick scored in the 72nd, 83rd and 88th minutes of play, along with goals from Kenzy George (49th), Myles Albert (63rd)  and Armon Fredericks’ (64th), Waramadong completed the victory.
They were cheered on by a vociferous band of spectators who did not hesitate to give shouts of joy whenever they touched the ball, especially the diminutive Lyndon Joseph, who created many goals after being brought on as a second-half substitute for Yogi Sookram, as his team took many shots at Bygeval’s custodian James Bastiani, doing so at will.
Samuel Charles, who was guilty of excessive dribbling during the contest, pulled one back for Bygeval in the 62nd minute, but at that time, the writing was on the wall for his team, with many on the sidelines wondering how huge the margin of victory would be at the final whistle.
At the Den Amstel ground, WSCC, who lost to eventual champions Government Technical Institute 5-3 in last year’s final, clawed their way back, from a 1-2 deficit to first draw level with St Ignatius at lemon-time, before edging ahead midway the second half.
Not to be outdone, the team from Lethem showed grit and determination to level the scores, but in true championship fashion, WSCC placed their feet in the door of tomorrow’s final, with another goal and, despite several attempts from St Ignatius to grab the equaliser, they failed in their bid to do so, as WSCC won 4-3.
Allan Halley (4th), Yannick Simon (46th and 68th) and Travis Dryden (82nd) were responsible for WCSS’s goals, while strikes by Franklyn Parks (7th), Kenroy Robinson (43rd) and Michael Smith (80th kept St Ignatius in the game.